Bohemians to face Welsh or Kosovan opposition after clean sheet sees them through in Conference League

FOCUSED: Bohemians' Dawson Devoy comes up against St Joseph's Juanma and Javi Paul. Picture: INPHO/Antonio Pozo

St Joseph’s, Gibralter 0 Bohemians 0 (Bohs win 2-0 on aggregate)

Bohemians will face either Welsh side Connah Nomads or Ballkani from Kosovo in next week’s Conference League second round after comfortably seeing off Gibraltarian minnows St Joseph’s on a sweltering evening.

Leading 2-0 from last week’s first leg, Bohs kept their heads at the Europa Point Stadium, while the Saints lost theirs, to defend their lead and complete the tie without conceding.

Francis Ferrón was the biggest sinner for the Saints, as his red card for grabbing Dawson Devoy around the neck with 25 minutes left, stifled any slim prospect of a late comeback.

The Gypsies should have killed the tie before then, as Connor Parson spurned a golden chance to swell the gap to three goals shortly after the restart.

He did the hard work on the 50th minute by drifting into the box from the right undetected, only for his finishing to elude him as his curler bent around the far post.

Another opening, created by two substitutes, went amiss in stoppage time too. Harry Vaughan beat goalkeeper Bradley Banda with his low shot but not the upright.

The rebound looked primed to be gobbled up by Colm Whelan but he somehow squandered the sitter from close range.

Navigating the first round, on their European return following a five-year absence, bolsters their prize-money to €700,000, with another full-house guaranteed for next Wednesday’s first leg.

All St Joseph’s, who are used to Irish opponents after meetings with Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne in recent years, conjured by way of goalmouth threats was Ferrón’s scuffed effort wide on 24 minutes.

His frustrations overspilled when needlessly getting involved in a skirmish with Devoy after the Bohs skipper was fouled on the halfway line.

Tempers flare. Picture: INPHO/Antonio Pozo

That justified decision by the Latvian official made a routine task for the visitors into a straightforward one.

BOHEMIANS: P Walters; N Morahan, P Hickey, S Todd, S Mullen (C Byrne 60); D Devoy, J Flores (S Diallo 84); C Parsons (M Strods 60), R Tierney (H Vaughan 84), D Rooney; D James-Taylor (C Whelan 60).

Referee: Kristaps Ratnieks (LVA)